Yahoo! Games

Michael Finewax

The Week Ahead

The Hall of Fame

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and here’s wishing everyone a Happy New Year. For those in the Greater Toronto area, spreading eastward towards the Maritimes, as well as in Maine and the Northeast United States, I hope you have power and heat in your home as that was one bad ice storm. I was without power for 49 hours and it wasn’t pretty but it certainly was cold as the temperature in the house eventually fell to 39 degrees. Fortunately I stayed at two of my brother’s houses as they had power.

While this is a fantasy column, with the ballots supposed to be done by the end of December for the Baseball Hall of Fame, I thought I would comment on the Hockey Hall of Fame’s lack of inclusion of the two greatest teams in North American sports, Team Canada 1972 and the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team.

The most famous event in sports in Canada was the eight game series against the Soviet Union in 1972. The series was supposed to be an easy eight game sweep by the Canadians but the Soviets quickly showed they were every bit as talented as Canada as they won the opener 7-3 in Montreal and were 2-1-1 in Canada before heading home for the last four games in Moscow.

The Soviets won Game 5 and the heroics of Paul Henderson, who scored the game-winning goals in the last three games for Canada made him a national hero back home. A little known fact is that the 1972 team was the first to use Team before the name of the country, a practice that that continues to this day. The whole country shut down for the September 28th game that began at 12:30pm in the East.

The unbelievable upset for the 1980 American Olympic hockey team is just as great in the States. It was named the top moment of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated and it brought relevance to hockey in the United States as plenty of kids wanted to emulate Jim Craig (pictured above), Mike Eruzione, Neal Broten and the rest of the young Americans. The upset win over the Soviet Union (a common theme in this article) was remade into a couple of movies with the movie Miracle starring Kurt Russell as the great Herb Brooks.

The point is that this is the Hockey Hall of Fame and there have never been two more famous teams on this side of the pond in sports. Basketball puts in teams to its Hall of Fame (1992 Dream Team and the 1966 Texas Western college team that won the NCAA championship to name a couple).

It is time for Hockey to do the same for Team Canada 1972 and the 1980 US Olympic team. They play an alumni game before the induction of the Hall of Famers and wouldn’t it be nice to see these two teams face off before too many get too old.

Perhaps they could get Al Michaels to announce the game for old times' sake.

Marian Gaborik suffered a broken collarbone and is out as much as two months. (Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)

ANAHEIM

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Edmonton, vs. Vancouver

Rested team: vs. Edmonton (Friday), vs. Vancouver (Sunday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Ducks play the back half of a home-and-home series with San Jose on Tuesday so look for Tim Jackman or Bryan Allen to pick up some penalty minutes if there are any fights. Cam Fowler leads the Ducks with 79 blocked shots while Ben Lovejoy leads the way in hits with 93 and is second in blocked shots with 66. Hampus Lindholm continues to impress as he has three goals and 13 points and a league-leading plus-22 in 36 games. Not too bad for the 19-year-old rookie defenseman who is worth owning in all keeper leagues. This will be Teemu Selanne’s last season in the NHL and the 43-year-old has been slumping this season with only 11 points in 30 games but he does have a goal and four points in his last four games.

BOSTON

Games this week

vs. New York Islanders, vs. Nashville, vs. Winnipeg

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

Milan Lucic tops all Bruins in hits with 119 and Dennis Seidenberg is first in blocked shots with 64. Daniel Paille has missed the last seven games with a concussion but could return to action on December 27. Reilly Smith has been a pleasant surprise, especially when many thought he was a throw-in in the Tyler Seguin deal. He has 12 goals and 28 points in 37 games for the Bruins and is a top-six forward in Boston. Ryan Spooner had three assists Monday and now has seven helpers in 10 games.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, @ Minnesota, vs. New Jersey

Rested team: vs. New Jersey (Saturday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

Steve Ott has 120 hits this season to lead the way for the Sabres and Christian Ehrhoff is tops in blocked shots with 57, five ahead of Tyler Myers. After a very slow start in which he had one goal and six points in 25 games, Zemgus Girgensons has three goals and seven points in his last 11 games. The sophomore center was selected 14th overall in 2012 and has impressed coach Ted Nolan with his play. The flu was going through the Sabres dressing room on Monday as Ville Leino, Linus Omark and Marcus Foligno were hit by the illness.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, vs. Tampa Bay

Rested team: vs. Philadelphia (Tuesday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

Dennis Wideman is first on the Flames in blocked shots with 42. Kris Russell has 105 hits which is five better than fellow defenseman Chris Butler. Jiri Hudler got off to a red hot start this season before slumping but has four goals and eight points in his last 10 games to give him 33 in 37 tilts. The Flames goaltending is still in flux as Reto Berra and Karri Ramo are fighting it out as to who is number one. Russell is out of action for the next four-six weeks with a second degree MCL sprain.

CAROLINA

Games this week

vs. Montreal, @ Washington, @ New York Islanders, vs. Nashville

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights and Anton Khudobin is getting close to returning to action as he has been out since October 13 with a lower body injury, so it still may be Cam Ward and Justin Peters in goal for Carolina but Khudobin could force his way in there. Tuomo Ruutu has 104 hits to lead the Hurricanes while Justin Faulk is first in blocked shots with 58. Alexander Semin had a goal and an assist Monday and now has 12 points in an injury-riddled season that has seen him play in only 25 games. Jiri Tlusty scored a couple of goals Monday, stopping an eight game goalless streak.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. Los Angeles, @ New York Islanders, @ New Jersey, vs. San Jose

Rested team: vs. San Jose (Sunday)

Tired Team: @ New Jersey (Friday)

Notes

The Blackhawks play four times this week including three games in four nights so Corey Crawford (if healthy) should play at least twice with Antti Raanta or Nikolai Khabibulin figuring to see action as well. The Blackhawks take on San Jose Sunday and if Antti Raanta starts against the Sharks Antti Niemi, it will be the first time in NHL history that two Antti’s face each other in net. Brent Seabrook is leading the way in hits with 96 and Niklas Hjalmarsson is tops in blocked shots at 76. Patrick Sharp has 36 points in 39 games and has scored 10 times in his last 14 contests.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Columbus, vs. Philadelphia, vs . San Jose

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

Gabriel Landeskog has 82 hits this season to lead the Avs while Nate Guenin has 82 blocked shots. Andre Benoit has only one point in his last 15 games. Ryan O'Reilly has eight points in his last seven games. Matt Duchene was the third star of the week with two goals and nine points in four games. All charges against Semyon Varlamov were dropped in a domestic dispute and he has stopped 78 of 84 shots since then as he is 0-0-2 and 16-8-3 this season. Landeskog ended a 10 game goalless streak on Monday.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Colorado, @ Phoenix, @ St. Louis

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

It looks like Nathan Horton will return to action in early January as he has almost recovered from off-season shoulder surgery. He could have a tough time of it the rest of the way as that happens on many an occasion to players returning after missing half a season including training camp. He’ll look a lot better next season. Blake Comeau leads the Blue Jackets with 108 hits and Jack Johnson is first in blocked shots with 62. Brandon Dubinsky played left wing on Monday, alongside Artem Anisimov and Cam Atkinson. Sergei Bobrovsky, who hasn’t played since December 3, could return this week.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Los Angeles, vs. Montreal, vs. Detroit

Rested team: vs. Los Angeles (Tuesday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

If you own Valeri Nichushkin in a keeper league, you have to love what Jaromir Jagr said about him. Jagr said that Nichushkin could become the best player in the world. Nichushkin is only 18 but is now playing on the top line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie although he is not seeing first power play time. Nevertheless, he has 19 points in 35 games and has five goals and 11 points in his last 11 games including his first power play marker of the season Monday. Brenden Dillon is first on the Stars in both hits and blocked shots with 82 and 69 respectively.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and here’s wishing everyone a Happy New Year. For those in the Greater Toronto area, spreading eastward towards the Maritimes, as well as in Maine and the Northeast United States, I hope you have power and heat in your home as that was one bad ice storm. I was without power for 49 hours and it wasn’t pretty but it certainly was cold as the temperature in the house eventually fell to 39 degrees. Fortunately I stayed at two of my brother’s houses as they had power.

While this is a fantasy column, with the ballots supposed to be done by the end of December for the Baseball Hall of Fame, I thought I would comment on the Hockey Hall of Fame’s lack of inclusion of the two greatest teams in North American sports, Team Canada 1972 and the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team.

The most famous event in sports in Canada was the eight game series against the Soviet Union in 1972. The series was supposed to be an easy eight game sweep by the Canadians but the Soviets quickly showed they were every bit as talented as Canada as they won the opener 7-3 in Montreal and were 2-1-1 in Canada before heading home for the last four games in Moscow.

The Soviets won Game 5 and the heroics of Paul Henderson, who scored the game-winning goals in the last three games for Canada made him a national hero back home. A little known fact is that the 1972 team was the first to use Team before the name of the country, a practice that that continues to this day. The whole country shut down for the September 28th game that began at 12:30pm in the East.

The unbelievable upset for the 1980 American Olympic hockey team is just as great in the States. It was named the top moment of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated and it brought relevance to hockey in the United States as plenty of kids wanted to emulate Jim Craig (pictured above), Mike Eruzione, Neal Broten and the rest of the young Americans. The upset win over the Soviet Union (a common theme in this article) was remade into a couple of movies with the movie Miracle starring Kurt Russell as the great Herb Brooks.

The point is that this is the Hockey Hall of Fame and there have never been two more famous teams on this side of the pond in sports. Basketball puts in teams to its Hall of Fame (1992 Dream Team and the 1966 Texas Western college team that won the NCAA championship to name a couple).

It is time for Hockey to do the same for Team Canada 1972 and the 1980 US Olympic team. They play an alumni game before the induction of the Hall of Famers and wouldn’t it be nice to see these two teams face off before too many get too old.

Perhaps they could get Al Michaels to announce the game for old times' sake.

Marian Gaborik suffered a broken collarbone and is out as much as two months. (Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)

ANAHEIM

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Edmonton, vs. Vancouver

Rested team: vs. Edmonton (Friday), vs. Vancouver (Sunday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Ducks play the back half of a home-and-home series with San Jose on Tuesday so look for Tim Jackman or Bryan Allen to pick up some penalty minutes if there are any fights. Cam Fowler leads the Ducks with 79 blocked shots while Ben Lovejoy leads the way in hits with 93 and is second in blocked shots with 66. Hampus Lindholm continues to impress as he has three goals and 13 points and a league-leading plus-22 in 36 games. Not too bad for the 19-year-old rookie defenseman who is worth owning in all keeper leagues. This will be Teemu Selanne’s last season in the NHL and the 43-year-old has been slumping this season with only 11 points in 30 games but he does have a goal and four points in his last four games.

BOSTON

Games this week

vs. New York Islanders, vs. Nashville, vs. Winnipeg

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

Milan Lucic tops all Bruins in hits with 119 and Dennis Seidenberg is first in blocked shots with 64. Daniel Paille has missed the last seven games with a concussion but could return to action on December 27. Reilly Smith has been a pleasant surprise, especially when many thought he was a throw-in in the Tyler Seguin deal. He has 12 goals and 28 points in 37 games for the Bruins and is a top-six forward in Boston. Ryan Spooner had three assists Monday and now has seven helpers in 10 games.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, @ Minnesota, vs. New Jersey

Rested team: vs. New Jersey (Saturday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

Steve Ott has 120 hits this season to lead the way for the Sabres and Christian Ehrhoff is tops in blocked shots with 57, five ahead of Tyler Myers. After a very slow start in which he had one goal and six points in 25 games, Zemgus Girgensons has three goals and seven points in his last 11 games. The sophomore center was selected 14th overall in 2012 and has impressed coach Ted Nolan with his play. The flu was going through the Sabres dressing room on Monday as Ville Leino, Linus Omark and Marcus Foligno were hit by the illness.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, vs. Tampa Bay

Rested team: vs. Philadelphia (Tuesday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

Dennis Wideman is first on the Flames in blocked shots with 42. Kris Russell has 105 hits which is five better than fellow defenseman Chris Butler. Jiri Hudler got off to a red hot start this season before slumping but has four goals and eight points in his last 10 games to give him 33 in 37 tilts. The Flames goaltending is still in flux as Reto Berra and Karri Ramo are fighting it out as to who is number one. Russell is out of action for the next four-six weeks with a second degree MCL sprain.

CAROLINA

Games this week

vs. Montreal, @ Washington, @ New York Islanders, vs. Nashville

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights and Anton Khudobin is getting close to returning to action as he has been out since October 13 with a lower body injury, so it still may be Cam Ward and Justin Peters in goal for Carolina but Khudobin could force his way in there. Tuomo Ruutu has 104 hits to lead the Hurricanes while Justin Faulk is first in blocked shots with 58. Alexander Semin had a goal and an assist Monday and now has 12 points in an injury-riddled season that has seen him play in only 25 games. Jiri Tlusty scored a couple of goals Monday, stopping an eight game goalless streak.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. Los Angeles, @ New York Islanders, @ New Jersey, vs. San Jose

Rested team: vs. San Jose (Sunday)

Tired Team: @ New Jersey (Friday)

Notes

The Blackhawks play four times this week including three games in four nights so Corey Crawford (if healthy) should play at least twice with Antti Raanta or Nikolai Khabibulin figuring to see action as well. The Blackhawks take on San Jose Sunday and if Antti Raanta starts against the Sharks Antti Niemi, it will be the first time in NHL history that two Antti’s face each other in net. Brent Seabrook is leading the way in hits with 96 and Niklas Hjalmarsson is tops in blocked shots at 76. Patrick Sharp has 36 points in 39 games and has scored 10 times in his last 14 contests.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Columbus, vs. Philadelphia, vs . San Jose

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

Gabriel Landeskog has 82 hits this season to lead the Avs while Nate Guenin has 82 blocked shots. Andre Benoit has only one point in his last 15 games. Ryan O'Reilly has eight points in his last seven games. Matt Duchene was the third star of the week with two goals and nine points in four games. All charges against Semyon Varlamov were dropped in a domestic dispute and he has stopped 78 of 84 shots since then as he is 0-0-2 and 16-8-3 this season. Landeskog ended a 10 game goalless streak on Monday.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Colorado, @ Phoenix, @ St. Louis

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

It looks like Nathan Horton will return to action in early January as he has almost recovered from off-season shoulder surgery. He could have a tough time of it the rest of the way as that happens on many an occasion to players returning after missing half a season including training camp. He’ll look a lot better next season. Blake Comeau leads the Blue Jackets with 108 hits and Jack Johnson is first in blocked shots with 62. Brandon Dubinsky played left wing on Monday, alongside Artem Anisimov and Cam Atkinson. Sergei Bobrovsky, who hasn’t played since December 3, could return this week.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Los Angeles, vs. Montreal, vs. Detroit

Rested team: vs. Los Angeles (Tuesday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

If you own Valeri Nichushkin in a keeper league, you have to love what Jaromir Jagr said about him. Jagr said that Nichushkin could become the best player in the world. Nichushkin is only 18 but is now playing on the top line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie although he is not seeing first power play time. Nevertheless, he has 19 points in 35 games and has five goals and 11 points in his last 11 games including his first power play marker of the season Monday. Brenden Dillon is first on the Stars in both hits and blocked shots with 82 and 69 respectively.

DETROIT

Games this week

@ Nashville, vs. Toronto, @ Dallas

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

Jonathan Ericsson is out three-five weeks with two cracked ribs. Justin Abdelkader is leading the Red Wings in hits with 103 while Niklas Kronwall is first in blocked shots at 72. The Red Wings take on the Maple Leafs in the Winter Classic in The Big House at Ann Arbor where 107,000 fans are expected. Jimmy Howard is hoping to get the call in goal despite being out since December 10 with a knee injury. Stephen Weiss is out of action as he had sports hernia surgery. Look for him to return after the Olympic break. Weiss has been a big disappointment this season with only four points in 26 games.

EDMONTON

Games this week

@ Phoenix, @ San Jose, @ Anaheim, vs. Tampa Bay

Rested team: None

Tired Team: @ Anaheim (Friday)

Notes

The Oilers play four times this week including three games in four nights so look for Devan Dubnyk to play at least once with Ilya Bryzgalov getting the rest of the action. Jeff Petry has 94 hits while Nick Schultz leads Edmonton with 70 hits. Taylor Hall is having a good offensive season once again as he has 33 points in 32 games after picking up 50 points in 2013 in only 45 matches. It looks like Bryzgalov is the starter as he is 2-4-0 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.80 GAA. He has had one bad game in which he gave up six goals on 33 shots but has been very good outside of that outing.

FLORIDA

Games this week

vs. New York Rangers, vs. Nashville

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Panthers only play twice this week so I suggest benching all your Florida players in weekly transaction pools. Erik Gudbranson is first on the Panthers with 84 hits while Mike Weaver leads the way in blocked shots with 60. Tim Thomas was activated from the injured reserve list and should be able to start this week. Jacob Markstrom was sent to the minors. Gudbranson is out after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone. Mike Mottau has been a healthy scratch in 13 of Florida’s last 14 games and Scott Gomez has not been used very much of late as well as he has only played once in the Panthers last ten games.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

@ Chicago, @ Dallas, @ St. Louis, vs. Vancouver

Rested team: None

Tired Team: @ Dallas (Tuesday)

Notes

The Kings play three games in four nights so look for Ben Scrivens to play once for the red hot Martin Jones. Jonathan Quick (groin) is being brought back slowly so it would not be a surprise if he did not play this week. Dustin Brown, who missed Monday’s game with the flu, leads the Kings with 135 hits with Willie Mitchell leading in blocked shots with 56. Tyler Toffoli has yet to be a minus in any game this season as he is plus-13 in 24 games. Jones lost for the first time in his NHL career and is now 8-1-0 with a 1.31 GAA and a .953 save percentage.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

vs. St. Louis, vs. Buffalo, vs. Washington

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

Josh Harding is expected to join the Wild on December 27 after missing a week getting doctors to adjust his medication for multiple sclerosis. It’s worth keeping an eye on Mikael Granlund as the sophomore seems ready to bust out offensively. Matt Cooke has 94 hits while Jared Spurgeon is tops on Minnesota with 63 blocked shots. Zach Parise missed action on Monday with a lower body injury but it is hoped that he can return this week, if not sooner. Dany Heatley is struggling once again this season as he has seven goals and 11 points in 39 games with a minus-11 rating.

MONTREAL

Games this week

@ Carolina, @ Dallas, vs. Ottawa

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

There have been a lot of people who think that P.K. Subban has been the top fantasy defenseman in traditional pools (goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes and power play points) and I’m one of them. He contributes in all categories as he is 17th in goals, fourth in assists, 15th in plus/minus, 16th in penalty minutes and second in power play points. He is the only blueliner in the top 20 in all categories and is also third in shots on goal if you play that category. Lars Eller leads the Habs with 64 hits while Josh Gorges is tops in blocked shots with 94, one of three Canadiens in the top eight as Raphael Diaz has 85 and Andrei Markov is at 83.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

vs. Detroit, @ Boston, @ Florida, @ Carolina

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Predators play three games in four nights as part of a four game week so expect to see Carter Hutton and Marek Mazanec to split the net. Eric Nystrom is tops with 86 hits and Kevin Klein and Shea Weber are best at blocked shots with 74. Paul Gaustad has been mediocre this season with five goals and seven points in 37 games and a minus-six rating to boot, but is fourth in the NHL in face offs at 59.6 percent. Seth Jones avoided a serious injury Saturday when cut near the eye but was okay to play on Monday. He picked up his eighth assist of the season and has 11 points in 37 games.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Chicago, @ Buffalo

Rested team: vs. Chicago (Friday)

Tired Team: @ Buffalo (Saturday)

Notes

Ryane Clowe could return as early as December 27 from a concussion that has kept him out of action since October 13. Steve Bernier has 68 hits to lead the Devils with Andy Greene tops in blocked shots at 55. Jaromir Jagr had his seven game scoring streak halted on Monday but he is having a terrific season as the 42-year-old has 33 points including 13 goals in 38 games this season. Jagr has been quite outspoken this week as he has commented on Nichushkin (see Dallas article) and now Eric Gelinas whom Jagr thinks deserves Calder Trophy consideration based on his contributions this season. Gelinas has four goals and 15 points in 28 games as he was in the minors for the first nine games of the season.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

@ Boston, vs. Chicago, vs. Carolina

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Islanders have the top player in the NHL in each category as Matt Martin is first in the NHL in hits with 183 and Andrew MacDonald is tops in blocked shots at 131. You have to wonder if the stats keeper in Long Island is a little lenient with the categories. Michael Grabner scored twice in the opener, went 31 games without scoring before finding the back of the net twice on December 20 and now has five goals on the season including three in his last three games. Ryan Strome picked up what should be his first of many NHL points on December 20 as he had an assist.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

@ Florida, @ Pittsburgh, @ Toronto

Rested team: None

Tired Team: @ Toronto (Saturday)

Notes

This is the second time in a week that the Rangers play the Maple Leafs and they will be the tired team in both games. The first one ended up a 2-1 shootout win for the Rangers. Daniel Girardi leads the Rangers in hits and blocked shots with 93 and 65 respectively. Marc Staal will travel with the team as it heads out on a five game road trip and he could return from a concussion this week. Cameron Talbot has been great this season and the Rangers have gone to him twice in a row, both wins, before the Christmas break. Look for the Rangers to play him more often while Henrik Lundqvist continues to struggle. Talbot is 8-2-0 this season with a 1.60 GAA and a .938 save percentage while Lundqvist is 10-15-2 with a 2.77 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

OTTAWA

Games this week

vs. Washington, vs. Winnipeg, @Montreal

Rested team: vs. Washington (Monday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

Chris Neil leads the way in hits for the Senators with 136 as he is closely trailed by Colin Greening at 129 and Jared Cowen and Zack Smith with 110 apiece. Cowen leads in blocked shots with 58. It’s hard to believe but Kyle Turris has never had more than 29 points in an NHL season, which he has done the previous two seasons. He has 29 once again in 2013-14 and he should shatter his career best. He is also a plus-15 in 39 games this season with eight power play points giving him plenty of all-round fantasy value. Cory Conacher was a highly regarded rookie when the Senators dealt Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay for him last season. But he has struggled offensively this season and scored for the first time in 31 games Monday, giving him three goals and nine points in 37 games.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Colorado, @ Phoenix

Rested team: @ Vancouver (Monday)

Tired Team: @ Calgary (Tuesday)

Notes

Zac Rinaldo is the top Flyer as he has 118 hits this season. Nicklas Grossmann leads in blocked shots as he has 94. Jakub Voracek is on an eight game points streak and now has more points in the last eight (13) than he did in his first 29 games (12). It appears that a back injury he suffered during the pre-season is the reason for his slow start. Look for a big second half as Voracek had 46 points in 48 games last season. Vincent Lecavalier returned to the lineup a lot earlier than first anticipated as he played on December 21, only three weeks after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his back.

PHOENIX

Games this week

vs. Edmonton, vs. Columbus, vs. Philadelphia

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

Zbynek Michalek is out for weeks after suffering a hip injury. He leads the team in blocked shots with 72, in only 24 games and Martin Hanzal has 108 hits this season to lead the Coyotes in that category. Shane Doan has Rocky Mountain fever and has already missed eight games. He could still be out for weeks. Reserve him if you can or drop him if you have to at this stage of the season. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a shoo-in to make the Swedish Olympic team and has to be in consideration for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman. He has four goals and 21 points with a plus-eight rating and eight power play points.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

@ New Jersey, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Winnipeg

Rested team: vs. Winnipeg (Sunday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

Tanner Glass is tops on the Penguins in hits with 99, while the injured Brooks Orpik still leads the way in blocked shots with 62. Rob Scuderi has been out of action since October 26 with a fractured ankle but it appears as if he could return on Friday along with Orpik who suffered a concussion when slewfooted and then punched by Shawn Thornton. The Penguins are hurting on the blueline with Scuderi, Orpik, Kris Letang and Paul Martin out of the lineup but Letang could also return this week after undergoing surgery to correct an infection in his elbow. Pascal Dupuis suffered a knee injury on Monday but there have been no updates as of this writing on Friday morning due to the Christmas break. Sidney Crosby had his 10 game scoring streak stopped on Monday. He leads the NHL in points with 54.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

@ Minnesota, vs. Los Angeles, vs. Columbus

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

David Backes is having a great fantasy season and his 116 hits add to his value. Alex Pietrangelo has 79 blocked shots to lead the Blues. Dmitrij Jaskin was placed on the top line upon his recall on Monday as he played alongside Backes and T.J. Oshie but he was returned to the minors after the game. He replaced the injured Alexander Steen in the lineup. Steen is out with a possible concussion. Chris Stewart was named the NHL’s first star of the week as he had six goals and an assist. He now has 13 goals and 22 points in 36 games with a plus-10 rating and 73 penalty minutes which makes him a stud in traditional pools. Derek Roy has four goals and 19 points in his last 20 games.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Anaheim, vs. Edmonton, @ Colorado, @ Chicago

Rested team: None

Tired Team: @ Chicago (Sunday)

Notes

The Sharks play four games including three in four nights this week so look for Alex Stalock to play once in place of Antti Niemi. San Jose also plays the back end of a home-and-home series against Anaheim so look for Andrew Desjardins and Mike Brown to pick up some penalty minutes if there are any fisticuffs. Matt Irwin has been hot since the Sharks made him a healthy scratch as he has two goals and seven points in his last eight games. Tommy Wingels leads the Sharks with 104 hits and Justin Braun is tops in blocked shots as he has 71. Tomas Hertl is out indefinitely as he needs knee surgery.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton

Rested team: None

Tired Team: None

Notes

The rough and tumble Radko Gudas has 130 to lead the Lightning while Matt Carle is first in blocked shots at 76. There is a lot to like about Nikita Kucherov as the 20-year-old rookie has five points in 14 games but is a plus-seven. He should be looked at in keeper leagues as he has plenty of offensive upside. Victor Hedman continues to come into his own as the defenseman has 20 points in 31 games with a plus-seven rating. Tampa Bay spends the week in Western Canada. Ryan Malone could return this week as he recovers from a fractured ankle that was supposed to keep him out of the lineup only three-four weeks when he was injured on November 23.

TORONTO

Games this week

@ Detroit, vs. New York Rangers

Rested team: vs. New York Rangers (Saturday)

Tired Team: None

Notes

The Maple Leafs play only twice this week including the Winter Classic and since they are slumping, I would avoid putting them in your fantasy lineup if you have weekly transactions. Cody Franson shows the way for the Maple Leafs in hits as he has 132 while fellow defenseman Carl Gunnarsson has 92 blocked shots. Tyler Bozak could return to the Toronto lineup as early as December 29 and the Leafs sorely miss him as they are hurting up the middle. Dave Bolland (sliced ankle tendon) is still at least one month away from returning to action. Dion Phaneuf could sign a new long-term deal in the next week.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, vs. Tampa Bay, @ Los Angeles, @ Anaheim

Rested team: None

Tired Team: vs. Philadelphia (Monday), @ Anaheim (Sunday)

Notes

The Canucks are only the second team in the NHL, Montreal being the other, to have their leading player have more blocked shots than hits as Chris Tanev has 73 blocks while Kevin Bieksa has 71 hits. Roberto Luongo suffered a leg injury that forced him from the game on Sunday. There is no word on the severity of the injury but since the Canucks do not play until December 29, he could be healthy enough to return. The Canucks play four times this week so look for Eddie Lack to play at least once. Defenseman Ryan Stanton, who had a goal and 11 points in 36 games, is out weeks after suffering an ankle injury.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

@ Ottawa, vs. Carolina, @ Minnesota

Rested team: None

Tired Team: @ Ottawa (Monday)

Notes

Mike Green thinks his game is finally coming around and it will be not a moment too soon as he has only two goals and 18 points in 34 games. It was thought that he would be a fantasy stud once again this season, especially after ending the 2013 season with 10 goals and 19 points in his final 18 regular season games. Troy Brouwer leads Alex Ovechkin by two, 104 to 102, as far as hits are concerned. John Carlson has 74 blocked shots to lead the Capitals. Philipp Grubauer has taken over the net from Braden Holtby as Grubauer has started in six of the last eight games, but do not expect this to last. Grubauer is 4-1-1 this season with a 2.20 GAA and a .934 save percentage.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Buffalo, @ Ottawa, @ Boston, @ Pittsburgh

Rested team: None

Tired Team: @ Pittsburgh (Sunday)

Notes

The Jets play three games in four nights so look for Al Montoya to play once with Ondrej Pavelec getting a rest. Evander Kane has missed eight games but still is tops on the Jets with 87 hits. Dustin Byfuglien is first in blocked shots with 61. Mark Scheifele had his six game point streak halted on Monday but is worth looking at in most pools as he had three goals and five assists during the streak. He now has six goals and 18 points in 39 games but should be owned in keeper leagues. He is currently owned in only 10 percent of Yahoo! leagues. The Jets went a little nuts in their 6-2 loss on Monday to Edmonton as five players picked up misconducts with less than four minutes remaining in the game, including Mark Stuart, Zach Bogosian, Bryan Little, Chris Thorburn and Andrew Ladd.